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USL Ottawa Fury FC

Match Preview | Ottawa Fury FC V Atlanta United 2

May 11, 2018 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Ottawa Fury FC News Release


OTTAWA - Ottawa Fury FC players will be brimming with confidence when they take on Atlanta United 2 at TD Place this Saturday. They grabbed their first win of the season with a memorable last-gasp goal against Penn FC on Monday. This win helped Fury FC climb off the bottom of the standings in the Eastern Conference and into 15th position.

Adding to their confidence will be the fact that this is the second consecutive game they have managed to keep a clean sheet. Such was the defensive solidity against Penn FC that Fury FC goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau didn't have to make a single save in the entire game. Despite having lesser possession (41.1%) than their opponent, the Ottawa side had 13 shots with five of them on target. And they were able to restrict Penn FC to nine shots with only one of them on target.

Fury FC have shown steady progress over the seven games they have played so far. In the first two games, the new-look side conceded nine goals but in the five games since they have conceded only five goals. And that statistic is skewed because of the 3-0 loss against FC Cincinnati. That loss was the only defeat at TD Place this season. In the three games so far, the home side has a 0-2-1 record.

The opposition, on the other hand, are experiencing a blip in their performance. Atlanta United 2 started their inaugural season with a 3-1 win against NYRB II but have been winless since. They have lost three consecutive games, having conceded eight goals, and 13 on the season. Their 1W-3D-3L run has given them six points and puts them at 14th in the Eastern Conference standings, one place above Fury FC.

This will be a keenly contested battle between two teams that are eager to climb up the rankings. Atlanta United 2 will want to end their losing streak and Fury FC will be keen to extend their winning run. It promises to be an action-packed afternoon at TD Place (KO 2:00 p.m.). Tickets are still available at OttawaFuryFC.com/tickets.

Of note, fans attending Saturday's Fury FC match will also get free access to the Canadian Tulip Festival at Lansdowne on the day. A perfect way to treat mom to an early Mother's Day celebration!

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING

Head Coach Nikola Popovic

"We delivered a consistent performance not just in our last game but also against (New York) Red Bulls II. We didn't have too many ups and downs during these two games. The performance was very good and in the last game we got the result. But we are still far from what we want to achieve. It's a process and we will have to wait a little bit more. There are good signs from our last two performances. Against (New York) Red Bulls II we didn't have the scoreboard on our side but we had that in our last game. But having said that, we have to forget about the scoreboard and focus on our performance. In the last two games, we were able to be very consistent during the entire 90 minutes."

On the team's two consecutive clean sheets... "It's not just the defence. In general, in all the facets of the game the team is getting better. Of course when you have two clean sheets, you will speak about the defence. I think we had some good defensive moments even in those games when we didn't have the scoreboard on our side. But the problem was that we weren't consistent. We are now actually able to play with defenders and not with midfielders on the defensive line [with addition of Doneil Henry for example] and this could be the reason why we are getting more consistent defensively.

On the energy in the team... "One of the core values that we are trying to instill is the positive energy. The players are starting to get attached to the new culture and we're seeing the signs. We're still far from what I want but the energy that we see is very good and I think it's going to stay. It has to stay otherwise we will have to change some things. This is the kind of energy that we want to have throughout the season, not just in parts."

Defender Thomas Meilleur-Giguere

"We played well, we didn't concede, so it's great for the team's spirit! Personally I feel great, that's my job, that's what I want [to play and perform well]."

On playing out at left back... "It's difficult. It's not the same defending positioning, so I had to change a couple things on my game. But playing with Henry behind me, he talked to me and helped me a lot. It's always good to have older players to guide you."

Forward Steevan Dos Santos

"When you win, you always get more confidence for the next game. I think it was a much deserved win for us, we battled for it, and now I think we have a bright future ahead of us."

On creating scoring opportunities... "We had a few chances this past game, unfortunately could only score once, but I think it is still early and we have more time to score more goals."

On Falvey, a defender, scoring the winning goal... "It was funny! That's what he said to us: 'guys, don't wait for me to score because it's not going to happen anymore'! But he's part of the team and I think it doesn't matter if a defender or a forward scores, we just want the three points at the end."

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Yusri RUDOLF

Assistants: Daniel BELLEAU & Michael BARWEGEN

Fourth Official: Carol Anne CHENARD

MATCH DAY INFO

Ottawa Fury FC v Atlanta United 2

Kickoff: Saturday, May 12 - 2:00 p.m. - TD Place

BROADCAST INFO

LIVE STREAM: OttawaFuryFC.com/Fury-Live | USL Match Centre

RADIO: TSN 1200 (English) | 104,7 FM Outaouais (Français)

TWITTER: Follow @OTTAWAFURYFC for LIVE updates



United Soccer League Championship Stories from May 11, 2018


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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